EarthWise

New York’s Ban On Invasive Species Goes Into Effect

March 10, 2015 By EarthWise

In a win for New York State’s natural areas, new regulations have gone into effect banning a long list of plants and animals that have plagued our fields, forests, and freshwaters. As of March 10, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has made it illegal to buy, sell, or transport 126 species identified as invasive.

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Manure To Energy

March 9, 2015 By EarthWise

Dairy cows are very industrious. On average, they produce about 70 pounds of milk a day. Unfortunately, they also produce about 150 pounds a day of manure. Basically, it is an inevitable byproduct of the production of milk.

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Lessons From Europe On Warming Lakes

March 6, 2015 By EarthWise

Do you wonder how climate change is affecting lakes? We just need to look across the pond, where scientists and agencies involved in the European Union’s Water Framework Directive have amassed an impressive body of research on the topic.

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Has Phragmites Met Its Match?

March 5, 2015 By EarthWise

Goats are gaining a reputation as allies in the fight against invasive plants. Urban parks, college campuses, and nature preserves are taking advantage of their appetites and agility – using them to control everything from autumn olive to multiflora rose.

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Dog Days Of Winter

March 4, 2015 By EarthWise

This winter filled with endless snows and bone-chilling temperatures makes it difficult to focus on a warming climate. But the truth of the matter is that the warming climate is playing a major role in our harsh winter weather.

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Milkweed And Monarchs

March 3, 2015 By EarthWise

We have talked before about the huge decline in the population of monarch butterflies. The causes are a combination of factors including illegal logging in Mexico, droughts, wildfires, parasites, and most importantly, the drastic loss of crucial milkweed habitat in the US. Milkweed is the only food plant that monarch caterpillars can eat and modern herbicides like those used on genetically modified crops are wiping it out over large areas.

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Wave Power

March 2, 2015 By EarthWise

Wave power is produced by the use of electricity generators placed on the surface of the ocean. Energy output is determined by wave height, wave speed, wavelength, and water density. This technology is a fledgling state: there are only a handful of experimental wave generator plants in operation around the world.

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Fungus Sucks The Life Out Of Hibernating Bats

February 27, 2015 By EarthWise

Common throughout North America, little brown bats keep insect populations in check. Anyone who has spent dusk near a lake has seen the little browns performing acrobatics on the wing as they feast on mosquitoes, midges, and gnats. Each bat can eat thousands of bugs each night.

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Floating Solar Panels

February 26, 2015 By EarthWise

Japan is an island country with over 125 million people and doesn’t have much land to spare. The country is largely mountainous and has no room for large-scale solar plants. It has long embraced solar power, but has to be creative about where to put the solar panels.

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Threats To Corals

February 25, 2015 By EarthWise

Coral reefs are some of the most spectacular sights in the world. People call them the “rainforests of the sea.” These colorful otherworldly places are some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. Coral reefs provide a home for 25% of all marine species and they flourish even though ocean waters that provide few nutrients typically surround them.

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Food Waste: Now Illegal In Seattle

February 24, 2015 By EarthWise

Previous Earth Wise segments have explored the global problem of food waste. In developing nations, inefficient harvesting and poor storage result in less than half of produced crops making it to the marketplace. In the U.S., food waste tends to occur in grocery stores, homes, and restaurants.

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Wind Power In Denmark

February 23, 2015 By EarthWise

Denmark has been a world leader in wind power for a long time. Its wind energy policy had its origins in the 1970s oil crises. The country first embraced nuclear power, but abandoned it in the 80s based on public opposition.

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Let’s End Factory Farming!

February 20, 2015 By EarthWise

It’s quite clear that factory farms are only able to produce their cheap goods at the expense of the animals, the environment, and human health. And while it could be easy to feel powerless against the factory farming machine, there are several viable alternatives.

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Factory Farming And Human Health

February 19, 2015 By EarthWise

Factory farms produce cheap goods. But while consumers may be happy with how much these products cost at the grocery store, there is a much bigger price paid by the animals, the environment – even human health.

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Factory Farming And The Environment

February 18, 2015 By EarthWise

Factory farms put an incredible strain on earth’s natural resources. While originally built for maximum efficiency, factory farms actually yield relatively small amounts of meat, dairy and eggs given the staggering price the environment pays.

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The Welfare Of The Animals In Factory Farms

February 17, 2015 By EarthWise

These are not Old MacDonald’s farms. Far from the idyllic, spacious pastures that are often shown in food advertisements and children’s programming, factory farms raise large numbers of animals in extreme confinement. More than 99% of farm animals in the U.S. are raised on factory farms, where they’re regarded as a commodity for maximizing profit.

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What Is Factory Farming?

February 16, 2015 By EarthWise

We should start by clearing up a myth: A factory “farm” is no farm at all. It’s quite simply an animal factory built for efficiency. Approximately 70 billion farm animals worldwide call these places home – including chickens, turkeys, cows, pigs, goats, and sheep.

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Goats As Allies In Removing Problem Plants

February 13, 2015 By EarthWise

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s last census, there are more than 2.5 million goats living in America. The majority are reared for their milk, meat, and mohair wool. But a small but growing number have been recruited for a new task: combating nuisance and invasive plants.

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Hope For Sea Turtles

February 12, 2015 By EarthWise

If you are fortunate enough to have encountered sea turtles while swimming, snorkeling or diving in the sea, then you know how remarkable these creatures are. The seven species of these large reptiles are real throwbacks to the age of dinosaurs.

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Chocolate That Is Less Bittersweet

February 11, 2015 By EarthWise

February is a boon for the chocolate industry, with heart-shaped confections found everywhere from drugstores to gas stations. Of course, the same could be said of almost any holiday, as chocolate has become a quintessential part of Easter, Mother’s Day and more.

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